The present invention relates generally to electrically conductive body bands (e.g., wrist bands, ankle bands, and the like) used to drain static electricity from the human body. More particularly, this invention pertains to an improved magnetic snap assembly for releasably connecting a grounding cord to an electrically conductive body band.
The routine handling of static-sensitive electronic components is plagued by problems relating to static electricity. Components, such as integrated circuits, for example, are prone to serious damage due to over-voltage or excessive power density resulting from static electricity. Static electrical potentials of as little as 50 vots may seriously damage certain integrated circuits and/or other microelectronic components. This potential for static electricity-induced damage is significant in view of the fact that static electrical potentials of as much as 30,000 volts may be generated by a person moving about on a carpet in a generally dry atmosphere. Also, human beings may triboelectrically generate thousands of volts of static potential by simply changing position in a chair or handling a styrofoam cup.
In order to minimize or avoid static electric-induced damage to electrical components, it is common practice in the electrical component manufacturing industry to attach grounding cords to the workers so as to drain static electricity from the bodies of the workers when they are handling such components. Generally, this is accomplished by placing an electrically conductive body band (e.g. a wrist band, ankle band, or the like) about an anatomical portion of the person's body. Such body band is then connected to a grounding cord so as to effect the desired wicking or drainage of static electricity from the body. The connection between body band and the grounding cord is preferably of an easy-release type so as to allow the worker to easily disconnect himself from the grounding cord when he wishes to ambulate away from the work area.
To date, the connecting means employed for releasably attaching the grounding cord to the body band have consisted of spring loaded and/or frictionally engaged straps. Such snaps generally provide for easily attachable/detachable, electrically conductive interconnections. However, in some instances, the spring-loaded and/or frictionally engaged snaps haVe failed to function reliably, thereby resulting in inefficient or interrupted draining of static electricity from the body of the user. Oftentimes, the failure of the spring-loaded and/or frictionally engaged snaps has been.due to improper fitting and/or incompatible configurations of the male and/or female portions thereof. Such improper fitting or incompatible configurations are likely to occur when the snaps become damaged, bent, worn, or fouled with dirt/foreign objects. Also, unsophisticated users may sometimes attempt to mate a grounding cord from one manufacturer with a body band from another manufacturer, ignoring the fact that the male snap portion on one may be configured quite differently than the female snap portion on the other. The union so such unpaired snap portions may result in ineffective contact and disrupted electrical conductivity therebetween.
Thus, in view of the problems associated with frictional or spring loaded snap connections, there remains a need in the art for an improved connector for releasably connecting a grounding cord to a body band in such manner as to permit rapid and simple disconnection/reconnection while, at the same time, insuring adequate electrical conductivity and consistency to carry out the desired static electricity Wicking function.